Ariane Fung1, Ai-Leng Foong-Reichert2, Sherilyn K D Houle3, Kelly A Grindrod4. 1. , BSc, PharmD, was, at the time of the study, a pharmacy student at the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, Kitchener, Ontario. She will be starting a hospital pharmacy residency in mid-2022. 2. , BSc, PharmD, is a candidate in the PhD program, University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, Kitchener, Ontario. 3. , BSP, PhD, is an Assistant Professor with the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, Kitchener, Ontario. 4. , BScPharm, ACPR, PharmD, MSc, is an Associate Professor with the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy, Kitchener, Ontario.
Abstract
Background: Past research on disciplinary action by pharmacist regulatory bodies has shown that most cases concern community pharmacists, with few occurring in a hospital setting. Objective: To investigate how discipline-related issues involving pharmacists are dealt with by hospital pharmacy departments in Canada. Methods: Hospital pharmacy directors and managers from small, medium, and large hospitals across Canada were invited to participate in semi-structured telephone interviews. The interview questions focused on the discipline process in participants' organizations, the situations when reporting to the regulatory body is deemed to be warranted, possible penalties, and recommendations for improving the regulatory body or organizational discipline process. Results: Ten participants, from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, agreed to be interviewed. Five key themes emerged as contributing to lower rates of hospital pharmacist discipline cases being escalated to the regulatory college level: robust organizational discipline processes independent from the regulatory college, a practice environment promoting competence, union representation, preference for a remedial approach to discipline, and lack of clarity about when to report to the regulatory authority. Conclusions: This study identified a number of reasons why discipline of hospital pharmacists by a regulatory body may be less prevalent than discipline relating to community pharmacists. The main reasons may be lack of clarity about when to report a case to the regulator and a lack of transparency, given that many cases are handled internally within hospitals. Environmental supports for competence and employee protections (e.g., through a union) may also reduce discipline cases. 2022 Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists. All content in the Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy is copyrighted by the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacy. In submitting their manuscripts, the authors transfer, assign, and otherwise convey all copyright ownership to CSHP.
Background: Past research on disciplinary action by pharmacist regulatory bodies has shown that most cases concern community pharmacists, with few occurring in a hospital setting. Objective: To investigate how discipline-related issues involving pharmacists are dealt with by hospital pharmacy departments in Canada. Methods: Hospital pharmacy directors and managers from small, medium, and large hospitals across Canada were invited to participate in semi-structured telephone interviews. The interview questions focused on the discipline process in participants' organizations, the situations when reporting to the regulatory body is deemed to be warranted, possible penalties, and recommendations for improving the regulatory body or organizational discipline process. Results: Ten participants, from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, agreed to be interviewed. Five key themes emerged as contributing to lower rates of hospital pharmacist discipline cases being escalated to the regulatory college level: robust organizational discipline processes independent from the regulatory college, a practice environment promoting competence, union representation, preference for a remedial approach to discipline, and lack of clarity about when to report to the regulatory authority. Conclusions: This study identified a number of reasons why discipline of hospital pharmacists by a regulatory body may be less prevalent than discipline relating to community pharmacists. The main reasons may be lack of clarity about when to report a case to the regulator and a lack of transparency, given that many cases are handled internally within hospitals. Environmental supports for competence and employee protections (e.g., through a union) may also reduce discipline cases. 2022 Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists. All content in the Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy is copyrighted by the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacy. In submitting their manuscripts, the authors transfer, assign, and otherwise convey all copyright ownership to CSHP.
Authors: Asim Alam; James Khan; Jessica Liu; Jason Klemensberg; Joshua Griesman; Chaim M Bell Journal: Can J Anaesth Date: 2013-07-30 Impact factor: 5.063
Authors: Jessica J Liu; Asim Q Alam; Hanna R Goldberg; John Justin Matelski; Chaim M Bell Journal: Medicine (Baltimore) Date: 2015-07 Impact factor: 1.889